Remington To Close Kentucky Plant, Lay Off 200 Employees

In the latest move to consolidate its sister companies under one roof, Remington Outdoor Company will move some of its Marlin and Remington rifle-making operations to its new Huntsville, Alabama, plant.

One of the nation’s most historic gun companies announced last week it is shuttering a decades-old manufacturing facility that makes bolt-action and semi-automatic rifles and is laying off most of its 200 workers.

Remington Outdoor Company said it will close its Mayfield, Kentucky, plant, which builds the Remington 783, 770 and 597 rifles, as well as the Marlin 60, 795 and XT rimfire rifles. The company said the location’s rifle manufacturing will move to Remington’s new Huntsville, Alabama, plant over “several months” and is the latest in a series of efforts by the gun manufacturer to bring a larger portion of its gun and accessory making under one roof.

Officials say the 200 employees from Mayfield will receive severance pay and placement help for a new job, as well as opportunities to apply for jobs within ROC. The Mayfield plant is about 250 miles from the Huntsville facility, Remington says.

And local officials are confident the Mayfield workers will get hired.

“Employers know the skills and work ethic the Remington employees have and we are already receiving calls from them wanting to hire now,” Graves County Economic Development President Ryan Drane told NPR. “Two years ago, this would be a different story but we have multiple employers hiring in our community and we are confident that those employers can and will hire the displaced workers.”

A conglomerate of nearly a dozen separate firearms, ammunition and accessory makers, Remington Outdoor Company has spent the last several years shutting down some of its factories or moving certain company functions to its new facility in gun-friendly Alabama. In October the company laid off 40 employees at its Madison, North Carolina, headquarters after a major management shakeup that saw Jim “Marco” Marcotuli replace George Kollitides as CEO.

The company’s historic plant in Ilion, New York, is still operational, but continues to lose out on Remington’s consolidation. A local New York assemblyman told WKTV in Kentucky he recognized the Empire State — which passed the restrictive New York SAFE Act that banned many of Remington’s products in 2013 — is hostile to guns but wondered why Remington didn’t send some of Mayfield’s jobs to Ilion.

“Obviously the good news is they’re not taking 200 jobs from the Ilion plant; the downside is, why didn’t they bring those 200 jobs here?” New York assemblyman Marc Butler told WKTV. “I know it’s common knowledge with the SAFE Act and other things that are going on in New York, it’s perceived as not gun friendly, so I don’t know where this may lead.”

Remington officials say the move from Mayfield to Huntsville will help with logistics and shipping, streamline management and cut overhead costs.

“We have developed new foundational quality process controls and grown our technical skill base in Huntsville,” Remington’s Marcotuli told Grand View Outdoors. Other officials added the Mayfield plant’s safety record was not an issue and its “quality performance is solid.”

“Obviously the good news is they’re not taking 200 jobs from the Ilion
plant; the downside is, why didn’t they bring those 200 jobs here?” New York assemblyman Marc Butler told WKTV.
“I know it’s common knowledge with the SAFE Act and other things that
are going on in New York, it’s perceived as not gun friendly, so I don’t
know where this may lead.”

You got that right. NY is as about anti-gun as you can get.
I predict the Ilion Plant will close it’s doors by 2020 just because of the unSAFE Act.

REM1875

Too bad, a lot of upstate is pretty conservative and pro gun but when NYC runs albany they run the state,

Recondo-101

When you think you can pass anti gun laws and have no effect on gun makers/employers in your state you are delusional. Every maker should be gone down the road from MA, CT and NY, in a cloud of dust. One day these idiots are going to wake up and find that their taxes and liberal agendas have driven every employer out of their state.

John

Amen!

Don, a.k.a.Sgt Bubba

Both Remington and Marlin’s quality has fallen off greatly. I have been a stead fast user of Remington shotguns and rifles for about 55 years. recently bought an 1100 competition to save my old shoulders. I have 11 rem 870’s. You would assume that all the bugs were worked out a model thats been around for 50 years.
this 1100 wouldn’t work at all, two or three jams out of a magazine of 5. It was returned to remington and after about 6 weeks, remington customer dis- service wanted $200 dollars to fix a new gun. It had had a total of 35 rounds thru it before being returned to them.
I was really displeased with quality of gun and service. I just bought a new mossberg, my first ever.
In my safe there are model 7’s,760’s 7600’s, 7612, 700’s along with the 870’s. Really too bad to end our relationsehip on a sour note. I’ll keep my old Remingtons that work, but will not buy anymore or recommend them.

Fred Simmons

That is disappointing to hear. I started shooting with a 870 (who doesn’t) and moved to a 1100 to shoot trap. Great gun, heavy but it worked. I had thought about buying an 1100 since the previous one was not mine, but will do MUCH more research now if a company is going to charge someone $200 to fix a lemon.

John

Thanks for the info which I personally will take into tremendous consideration. Nothing better than word of mouth advertising. Sorry about the 1100.

REM1875

After the R-51 fiasco (would have been a success if they had gone with the original calibers) and the 700 trigger problems, I am still going to try the RM 380.
I love my R-1 and I do prefer Remington rifles and Marlins but I got a bad feeling where this is all headed, (who ever thought you could screw up a Marlin?)
I have weapons from both companies that date back to the late 1800s that still function and I expect no less from my new ones.
If they don’t wise up 200 years might be the end of the road,